Covenant House
by chipped-nails
Summary: AU OC: THe Hogwarts Gang are at University and what do you do at uni? Drink, smoke and party to excess. Ten months, ten parties. What will they get up to? Who wakes up with who? Who will make the biggest mistake? Read and find out.


Chapter One 

Advance Wizarding University of England was the largest branch of wizard tertiary education in the world. Masked as a normal university and concealed by the exclusive wizarding town surrounding, it was one of the largest wizarding hubs in the entire United Kingdom region. Situated some two hours out of the greater London area over forty thousand students were enrolled with over one thousand students living on campus. There were over ten libraries on campus housing and estimate of two-hundred thousand wizarding resources between them, the largest Merlin Library making up a huge chunk of that with ten floors holding the record for the largest number of books and written sources in one library; close to three-hundred thousand. There were over thirty learning buildings, with one entire building for music, art and performing arts under the magical umbrella. Three Quidditch pitches, three ovals, two gyms, a swimming pool, a duel arena as well as food outlets, stationary shops, clothing stores, restaurants, and three nightclubs in two huge community buildings on opposite ends of campus – Ebony and Ivory. Not to mention the close to six hundred classrooms and lecture halls throughout the entire university. 

Upon first look the immensity of the university was literally breathtaking. Made from beautifully carved and chiselled sandstone slabs the main Quad building exerted authority. All of the learning buildings were carefully carved out of ancient rock similar to the sandstone supported and maintained through physical and magical maintenance over the centuries. Even though the buildings towered high into the sky with poise and elegance, they also delved far down beneath ground level, and the dark haunting rooms below were suspect and avoided at all costs by the gay, joyous students. The grasses surrounding the immense buildings were a lush and beautiful green and were dotted with excited university students chatting away, sitting on the grass, reading through their text books and an odd burst of light flickered from someone's wand every now and then as a simple charm was performed. 

Hermione Granger looked around excitedly, her honey brown eyes glinting with anticipation as she idolized the large quad building in front of her. She squinted as the sun reappeared from behind an isolated cloud continuing to examine the building in front of her. She stood at the entrance gates looking up the gravel carriage path, which ended at the entrance to the sandstone quad building. It was everything she had expected, everything she had dreamed about. This was the height of wizarding education and she could not wait to tackle the more advanced subjects. She could not wait to have educated and highly developed discussions with the students who had interesting thoughts and ideas and all whom could maintain a stimulating conversation at a level she had never been able to experience at school. 

She waited in anticipation for her two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, to arrive by her side their fully packed trunks no doubt floating along beside them, excited smiles on their faces. They were all to be living on campus for a year at the minimum however, had discussed renting out a small townhouse in the surrounding town in their second or third year. 

They had all enrolled in different courses however the cross over of many subjects and the fact they would live together meant that they would be spending copious amounts of time together. Harry had decided to take the advice of an old professor and enrolled himself into an Auror and Dart Arts Degree where he would graduate a qualified Auror and have a major in the Exploration of the Dark Arts in five years. Ron would graduate the same year as Harry with a double major in Astronomy and the Exploration of the Dark Arts hopefully going on to work within the Ministry of Magic in the astronomy department. Hermione had initially laughed at his choice after is lack of attention during astronomy throughout school. However, he had declared it is what he wanted to do with his life – stay up late and gaze at the stars whilst sleeping during the day. Hermione on the other hand would finish a further two years later than the boys undergoing a double degree in Magical Procedure and Law, and the Exploration of the Dark Arts with an internship already waiting within the Law Courts at the Ministry of Magic. All partaking in the same second major they had organized to do, at least for the time being, the same subjects that fell under that umbrella working it out so that they had at least three lectures a week together and one tutorial. Not to mention they would be living the same college.

The university had five colleges; Covenant House, The Salem Dedication house (to all the witches burnt at the stake), Lacrymosa House for Music students all of which were co-educational colleges and the single sex colleges; The Women's College and Arcadia Men's College. Each college was placed strategically around the campus as if a ring surrounding the educational buildings and libraries. Harry, Ron and Hermione would be living in Covenant house, the largest of the colleges housing up to three hundred students at the time. It was the college most infamous for their often-riotous parties and badly behaved inhabitants. Naturally it was the college number one on everyone's list. 

Hermione grew impatient waiting for the boys. They were always late. She wanted so badly to explore the campus, unpack her things, meet her roommate and above all launch herself headlong into the abundant amount of reading and learning presented to her by the largest wizarding academic library in the world. She could not wait to settle into a quiet corner of the library and read the ancient law-books from the time of the Greeks. This was the environment where Hermione radiated like the sun, he brilliance shone through the darkness. She had read and even re-read her text books so she was ahead of her class reading. 

Tired of standing and looking around like a lost puppy she opened her oversized leather handbag and pulled out a thick hardcover book, a little light reading about the history of herb and plant extracts in wizarding culture. As she made herself comfortable starting to read a page about the vile Brazilian plant the Hookie which was known to be an antidote to some of the more abstract jinxes she heard the loud and rather obnoxious laugh of her best friend and boyfriend Ron Weasley. Rolling her eyes at the irony of the situation she stood up to meet the tall, lanky, red-head and the slightly shorter, famous boy with ever messy jet black hair. They were laughing at their ignorance after complaining of how heavy their trunks were then realising that they could legally do magic. 

"Does the fact that we made a specific time to meet mean anything to either of you? I have been waiting here for half an hour so we could go into college together. The train station is less than five minutes walk from here, how long does it take?" She said shifting her weight onto one foot and folding her arms. She couldn't keep a straight face though, and a genuine grin formed on her reddy-brown lips. 

Ron and Harry idolized her, a pillar of beauty and intelligence. She had grown into her looks, no longer the gawky, slightly uncomfortable looking bookworm. Hermione had smoothed out her appearance replacing wild bushy brown hair with soft ever-glowing curls that hung so perfectly around her flawless face. Her eyes were a mix of serious student and warm loving woman, the honey brown delicate and enhanced by the skilfully applied mascara, sweeping natural eye shadow and a hint of black or bronze eyeliner on her top lid and often lightly smudged beneath her bottom lashes creating a timeless day to day natural look. She wore a mix of comfortable casual everyday clothing that more often than not was close fitting clinging to her lean limber frame and sophisticated, stylish accentuating every inch of her femininity and her strong willed intelligence. Her style had matured as had her looks and self-handling. Ron and Harry however stayed the same as they always had during school. Their worn out jeans and t-shirts, messy hair and constant joking was testament to the fact that women did mature with far more haste than men. They were really nothing more than a couple of fifth or sixth years passing around a Quidditch ball. 

"Sorry Miss On Time, we, er, got distracted," Ron stuttered giving Hermione a quick kiss on the cheek whilst grinning at Harry who responded with a muted laugh. They had been severely distracted by a group of beautiful Scandinavian exchange students who were desperately trying to find the station. Harry and Ron being as conniving as they both were decided to guide them the long way so they could continue to ogle at their shimmering blond hair and laughing blue eyes. Of course forgetting to mention that both of them were in serious, long-term relationships. 

"Yeah good, er, Quidditch supply store right next to the station," Harry added quickly hoping to put Hermione off. She gave them both a rather quizzical look.

"I didn't see any when I – " but was cut quickly off as Harry and Ron tried to get her moving in the direction of their college.

"Well you don't really notice things you aren't interested in," Harry quickly added.

"Yeah, and we all know Quidditch is certainly not high on your top ten list of things to – be – interested in," Ron followed up with an unsure tone in his voice, indicating Hermione to move whilst levitating her trunk. Hermione continued to look confused then gave up knowing they were right. 

"Anyway, I was looking at a map and Covenant house isn't very far from here just around the corner from that building," Hermione said pointing to a smaller off-shoot of the enormous quad building. Grabbing all their gear the three began traipsing up the gravel driveway coming closer and closer to the huge building, which loomed over the top of them in an almost menacing way. There was an array of students all around them in casual muggle clothes as well as wizard robes. There were younger students, older mature aged students; there were even magical creatures such as elves and goblins roaming around. The three first years were fascinated by the array of creatures and people enrolled to study. As they followed the gravel pathway around the historic quadrangle building, they first lay eyes on their lodgings for the next year. 

A little further down the lush green grassy slope was Covenant house. The initial appearance suggested that perhaps it was something dating back to late 18th early 19th century England, the world of Jane Austen. It was very large with two entire wings to the building, with a large adjoining entrance hall that had high ceilings and beautiful marble floors. The exterior was made up of whitewashed walls with grey shutters and tiling on the roof. All around the building was manicured healthy grass and carefully tended brilliantly coloured garden beds. The layout of the building was almost that of a U, where from around the back there was a delicate, leafy courtyard shielded by the towering walls of the east and west wings. 

Inside was as beautiful as it was outside. All throughout the building were high ceilings that were elaborately decorated, fitted will glistening chandeliers and candelabras. The floors were a mix of timber and marble in the entrance halls with high timber skirting boards and a whole collection of paintings, statues, suits of armour, pottery and furniture scattered throughout the halls on every level. Long elaborate carpets ran up and down the staircase that moved up from the entrance hall to the top level on the fifth floor. From the staircase lines of rooms stretched out and throughout the hallway interjected often by common rooms, bathrooms and kitchens. At the end of each corridor was another winding (modern) set of stairs there for an evacuation route. 

Hermione, Ron and Harry stood at the entrance to the huge college its beautifully carved doorway facing its twin that led out into the garden area that overlooked a large grassy field. The buzz surrounding the students in the building was intoxicating. Men and women were running around after each other laughing at the top of their voices finding their assigned rooms and settling in making new friends and visiting old ones. Slotted rather discreetly beside one side of the ascending staircase was a beautifully carved desk built into the floor with enough space between it and the wall for someone to sit. And that someone who sat there was as beautiful as the gold and marble that made up the bulk of the desk. 

Her warm smile welcomed the three over to her, sensing their confusion. She was enchanting to say the least rather exotic in her looks. She had beautiful bronze skin with matching dark hair, both that exuded a remarkable radiance. Yet it was the dazzling blue eyes that caught Harry's attention. It was remarkable to see someone so dark with such brilliant eyes, yet there she was and was she beautiful. 

"Hello there," she said in a smooth calming voice. "Is there something I can help you with? Need a porter elf? Looking for you room? My shift finishes in ten minutes but I am happy to help," she asked looking between the three of them; a flicker of revelation glossing over her eyes as she looked upon Harry.

"We were hoping you had our room numbers? Maybe some directions?" Hermione finally said after the two boys shuffled nervously. The girl asked for their names and responded with haste and efficiency. Harry and Ron (as per request) had been put together whilst Hermione was with a girl called Iset McLaughlin. 

"Any more questions just come to the desk here, there is a rotational shift so someone is always on. Any specific questions you want to ask me personally just ask for Helen and I'll be in touch," she said with a bright smile. The three friends thanked her kindly and began to make their way up three flights of stairs with a house-elf charming their trunks up after them (much to the protests of Hermione).

Whilst on their way up the stairs they were bombarded by at least five people all screaming the same thing in their ears; Start of School party, tonight, Covenant House Court. 


End file.
